Musings of a YA author throwing herself into the fray. Join me on the journey ...

Saturday, October 15, 2011

The Reckoning: Vampire Diaries Epi 5 Recap

Sorry this is late, y'all. I missed the original airing on Thursday night and didn't get to watch till yesterday. Forgive?The Reckoning

The Least You Need To Know: Katherine stole Elena’s necklace and has taken Damon on the road. Klaus knows Stefan’s hiding something, so he’s brought him back to Mystic Falls to find out what. Reunion!!!

Immediately, Elena walks down the wall and right into Klaus. Hello, doppelganger. Why aren’t you dead? (Told ya.)

Katherine and Damon speed down a long, dark highway. She taunts about his Elena complex before shoving her tongue into his mouth. He responds for about 5 seconds, then, eh. She doesn’t do it for him anymore. She pouts.

Stefan comes to, again, in the back of Klaus's moving truck. It’s nighttime. Rebekah's there. Klaus knows his dirty little Elena secret and is hopefully killing the doppelganger right now, she tells him gleefully. Stefan launches and they spar. Where is Elena, he growls. You still love her, she jealously cries. And underscores the sentiment by driving a crowbar into his stomach.

Meanwhile, Klaus is telling Elena why she must die--so he can make his vampwolf army, duh. He drags her into the gym. Prank Night is over, Klaus declares to the group of Sr's. Skedaddle, ‘cept you two. The two students he compelled at the dance last season. He toys with them to demonstrate his powers of compulsion to E.

Damon pulls over. Switch drivers, he says. Psych. He tosses the keys away. What are you really up to, Kate? I’ve got the necklace, she says. Klaus wants the necklace. It’s leverage (which is the key word for the night, apparently). I’m gonna stop Klaus no matter the cost. And I want you totally on board, no turning back. Fine, he nods. What’s the angle? Kate opens the trunk. Hot Jeremy’s in there, unconscious.

Tyler backs Caroline against the wall at school. (Aside: he’s not very tall, is he?) It’s hot, until Caro starts talking about her ex, Matt. But Ty is supersweet about it, cause he knows Caro justs wants everyone to be happy (and why does she keep saying shite like this cause it’s totally the kiss of death?). Ty wants to makeout, though, till they’re rudely interrupted by Rebekah. Caro senses another blonde vamp in the mix. Nu, uh. Fangs.

Matt and Bonnie are tp-ing the pool. Hey, where’s Jere? Uh, we’re having some problems, Bon admits. Cause he’s seeing his dead exes. Matt wishes he could see Dead Vicki, too, though. Hey remember how this time last year we were summer lifeguards, and my biggest problem was that you were better at CPR, Bonnie? Yeah, good times. Oh, well, need more TP. Matt goes to the restroom. Stall door opens by itself. Creepy. Then Dead Vicki is there, but Matt can’t see or hear her.

Bonnie and Matt walk into the gym. There’s the witch that screwed up my plan, Klaus says. Now you’re gonna fix it. Bekah drags in Tyler, and Klaus forcefeeds him his blood and snaps his neck. If Bonnie doesn’t figure out how to fix him soon, Ty’s gonna be another failed hybrid gone dead.

Stefan’s pulls the crowbar from his abs. Klaus tells the gang to get moving or Ty’s a goner. But he’ll hold onto Elena. Leverage. Bekah drags Tyler’s inert body away.

Bonnie’s got a problem. Her grimoires don’t go back far enough to help. And the witches cut her off from their juju after bringing Jere back from the dead. Hey, that’s the ticket--Jere can talk to the dead. If only he would answer his phone...

Kate tells Damon that her witch-friend Pearl once told her there’s a vampire who knows how to kill Klaus. Too bad Pearl's dead. Yeah, except she also revealed the vampire’s secret identity to her daughter Dead Anna, which is why Hot Jeremy is suddenly useful.

Stefan saunters into the gym, all dark knight to save his damsel. (God, I love a warrior.) Forgive me, Klaus, he says. I pledge thee my eternal loyalty. Yeah, you said that before, Klaus replies. Elena means nothing to me now, lies Stefan. I’ll do whatever you want. (How does he not see the trap he just set?) Cool, let’s drink on it, Klaus agrees. Kill the compelled seniors, Ripper Stefan. Don’t do it, he’s not gonna hurt me, E yells. But Klaus backhands her across the room to prove he will. Stefan can’t stand it and launches at K. Please let her go, he begs, I’ll do whatever you want. Okay, but to make sure this doesn’t happen again, Klaus compels Stefan to love, honor and OBEY him. Stefan vamps out and kills the Sr. girl.

Kate and Damon want Jere to contact Dead Anna, but Anna doesn’t want to help them. So D cracks Jere on the head. Anna gives up the goods but quick on Michael the Vampire Hunter.

Caroline wakes up on the floor. Bekah gives her the scoop on un-dead Tyler whilst scrolling the pix on Caro’s phone. She zeroes in on a pic of Stelena. Hey, is that my lost necklace round the doppelganger’s neck?

Stefan’s feeding on seniors. E blames Klaus for S’s Ripperness. Bekah storms in and shows Klaus the incriminating pic then vamps out on Elena’s neck. Klaus stops her. Where’s the necklace? Katherine stole it. Fine, if Bonnie hasn’t figured things out in 20 minutes Stefan must feed on Elena, and if she tries to run, break her spine. Oh. Snap.

Matt’s on the phone with Bon. Where’s Jere? He won’t answer, she says. Let’s find him, Matt says. I’ll get my keys...WTH? Someone’s rifled his bag and keys are gone. Vicki? He follows the trail of sweaty gym clothes to the pool. Keys are at the bottom, natch. He’s fixing to jump in. Vicki’s there. Spooks him by tossing his shoe in the water. Bzzz. Text from Unknown Caller: I can help.

Matt calls Bonnie again. Hey, I’ve got a plan. Remember how you were better than me at CPR? WTW? Bon races back to the school. Matt ties a weight to his waist and jumps into the deep end.

Bonnie crashes through the doors to see Matt floating at the bottom. She dives in and brings him up.

Damon has re-located his tossed keys, and wants his phone back from Kate. Crap, Bonnie’s been texting re: Klaus. I’m going back, he growls. To die? The old Damon wasn’t that dumb, says Kate. Well, I wouldn’t have done it for you, D states matter of fact. Yee-ouch!

One, two, three, breathe. Bon’s chest compressing. Matt’s blue. But on the other side he sees Dead Vicki. She has a message for Bonnie. Blue Matt coughs up water and is revived.

Tick, tock. Stefan is freaking cause he won’t be able to stop feeding on his love once he starts. No, you will cause you owe me and our undying love, Elena tells him. S agrees, but once a vamp always a vamp.

Caro’s holding vigil over Ty. Bekah’s using the stopwatch feature on the iPhone. Ty wakes. Caro tries to break his terminal diagnosis to him gently, but Bekah needs to work on her bedside manner: it’s curtains for you, dude, as long as Elena’s alive. And there’s the two minute warning for Elena’s demise.

17, 16, 15 seconds to bloody times. Run, Elena, please!! Stefan begs. Fight it, Stefan! Buzzzzz. Times up. I LOVE YOU, she cries as he tries to resist the compulsion. He launches at her. She screams, but he attaches himself to the bleachers and holds on for her life. RUN!!!!! She gets a headstart, but he comes after her, fighting the urge for all he’s worth. She closes a door behind her, turns--Klaus. Shite!!

Stefan stumbles into the cafeteria, sees a broom...and, oh crap, we see where this going. Yep, ever the noble warrior, he snaps it and starts to drive it into his chest to save Elena from himself. But wait, Klaus drags Elena in the door and stops him. He’s amazed that Stefan’s love for E is stronger than his bloodlust. Just turn off your humanity, man, he tells our warrior hero. No! he won’t. Klaus gets pissed. Yes. You. Will. He compels Stefan to do so. Stefan twitches, Elena’s horrified, Klaus is pleased. Let’s see if it worked, he says, and offers E’s neck. Stefan vamps out. She screams.

Klaus enters the lab with a vial of E’s blood. Drink it, he tells Tyler. This will probably save you. Ty drinks, writhes. It works--he’s a vampwolf. Klaus smiles.

Somehow Elena’s in the hospital, hooked up to machines. The nurse tells her to stay calm, she’s lost a lot of blood. Wait? You're taking my blood. Don’t fight, the obviously compelled nurse tells her then drugs her.

Klaus downloads to Bekah how the Original Witch tried to trick him by making him think Elena’s death was integral to breaking the Sun and Moon Curse, when her blood would be needed for him to create his vampwolf army. Now that he’s figured it out, all he wants to do is take his girl (E or Bekah, i’m not sure), his truck and get outta town.

Damon finally shows up. Where’s Elena? He and Klaus throw down, but Damon taunts him that they know about Michael. He’s on his way, he bluffs. Scared, K takes off.

Damon finds Elena and tenderly cradles her in his arms, carrying her into the darkness. Ty and Caro walk out of school, hand in hand. He’s totally stoked about this new side. They kiss. This year's going to be amazing! he declares (Stop saying this!) Bonnie lectures Matty about his suicidal tendencies. Just be the normal guy, okay? Fine. When Bon leaves, Matt finally sees Dead Vicki and they have a sibling moment.

At the Salvatore’s, Damon pours Elena a whiskey, to help her forget. Or I can compel you to, he offers. No, I need to remember, she says stoically. But when Damon tries to return her necklace, she realizes how much she’s lost. Why wasn’t he here? she asks, all waifish. Damon, blue eyes trying to emote, promises he’ll never, ever leave her again.

Well, ain’t this cozy? Damon jumps. What are you doing here, Stefan? Uh, I live here. And since Klaus has vamosed, I’ve been compelled to watch over Elena. But, hey, carry on with snaking my girl, brother--I’ve no humanity left.

Biggest reveal for me this episode: Every guy on this show except Hot Jeremy, and maybe Alaric, is about 5'7". Also, I have feeling this is going to be looooonnnng season for me: I'm finding the reversal of roles for Stefan and Damon ill-fitting on their portrayers. Paul W. is much better as the lovestruck, warrior hero, and I miss Ian S. as the snarky, bad-boy. And as far as the love triangle goes, two questions to ponder:

If everything Stefan has done and been through was to protect Elena, should he be punished by losing his love to his brother?

If Damon completely changes himself to be worthy of Elena's love (boring), does that compensate for everything he's done in the past (like killing her brother)?